A Real Man
by TributePotterhead
Summary: When Katniss gets knocked up, will Gale stay and be a real man? Or will he wuss out? What role will Peeta play in all of this?
1. Chapter 1: The Best Friend

**For those of you reading, I am republishing this because I made some changes. Please tell me what you think!**

The Best Friend

My back hits the wall of the bathroom as the results appear. How could this happen? It was one night with my boyfriend. One night and I get pregnant and other girls have sex fifteen times and don't get pregnant. This whole thing isn't fair.

Someone pounds on the door, breaking me from my thoughts. "Katniss? Are you alright in there?" Sweet Prim asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lie, shoving the plastic stick into my pocket and unlocking the door. "See, I'm fine."

"Okay." She says, wrapping her arms around me in a hug.

I scamper up the stairs and to my bedroom, pulling my phone out of my pocket. 'Meet me at the Meadow' reads my message to Gale. I send it and put on my black converse and grey hoodie. Then I run out the door to the Meadow screaming where I'm going behind me.

I slump down onto the dying grass once I'm there, waiting for Gale's shape to appear. It appears quickly. "Hey babe, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" He asks, leaning down to peck me on the lips. I stop him.

"No everything isn't okay. You know what I found out today?" I pause, and Gale shakes his head. "I'm pregnant Gale. You just _had_ to knock me up didn't you?"

Gale doesn't even say anything. He just stands there, as if in shock. Anger bubbles within me, and I'm ready to scream my head off when he speaks. "I—I have to go." He says before running off in the direction of his home.

That's when I pull out my phone and text my best friend Peeta. 'Can I come over to your place?'

Almost instantly, I get a reply. 'Sure.'

I take off running to the Mellark bakery—I love it there, it's so warm and inviting, it smells delicious too. Within a minute, I'm there and walking through the door. "Hey Kat." Rye says, looking up from his game of Sudoku.

"Hey, is Peeta here?" I ask; Rye nods and gestures up the stairs. I thank him and run up the stairs.

"Hello Katniss." Peeta's father says as I pass.

"Hello, Peeta's up here, right?" I ask, out of breath.

Peeta's father points to the first door on the right. "Yes, he's in there."

I don't even knock, I just barge right in. "Hey Kat." Peeta says as he looks up from the painting he's working on. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I lie. "But guess what I found out this fine evening?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and then take another. "I found out today that I'm pregnant." My voice is calm.

"What?! Who did this to you? I swear I will rip him apart." Peeta says, rising to his feet.

I roll my eyes. "I can only assume it happened two weeks ago on New Year's when Gale got drunk and practically raped me."

Peeta looks completely red in the face, utterly mad. "I swear I will rip him to shreds and bash his head into the concrete." His voice sounds forced and gruff.

"Peeta, calm down. It's okay." I say, resting my hand on his arm to calm him.

"No Katniss, it's not okay. Rape is never okay. The world tells you it's your fault for being too immodest or choosing to stay with a man who would do such a thing, but rape is _never_ okay." Peeta almost shouts at me.

I take a deep breath a let it out slowly. "Peet, it's fine. I'll figure something out."

"Okay." He says quietly. "What do you wanna do?"

I shrug before the nausea hits, and I hit the ground running. I barely make it to the bathroom before I spew up my dinner. Quick as a cat, Peeta's behind me, rubbing circles on my back as he holds my hair. Slowly, I lean back to rest my head on Peeta's chest. He smiles down at me.

"I'll get you your toothbrush." He says. I used to sleepover here almost every weekend so I had my own toothbrush that I kept here. Peeta comes back with it, and I sit up, grab the toothpaste, put some on my brush, wet it, and stick it in my mouth. I scrub my mouth to remove the acidic vomit taste.

Then I stand and spit into the sink as I rinse my mouth out. "Thanks Peeta."

He shrugs it off. "Don't sweat it." He flashes me his thousand watt smile and gives me a playful wink.

"Okay." I smile. "Let's do something…Wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure! How about The Proposal?" He asks.

I roll my eyes. "That's a chick flic Peeta."

"I know. You seem like you need to watch it and eat some chocolate and cheese buns." He explains with a small smile.

I can't help but instinctively smile. "That sounds perfect."


	2. Chapter 2: The Sharing of News

**Sorry guys, but this is not a chapter. I lost the file on my computer that had all the chapters on it so I'm trying to find it. In case I am unable to find the chapters, I would ask you wonderful readers to tell me what you want next. Thanks for your understanding.**


	3. Chapter 3: A Gentleman

**You know the drill: read & review!**

_Six Weeks Later_

_Peeta's POV_

'Will you come over?' It's from Katniss.

I pull my phone off the nightstand, and my thumbs type out a reply. 'Sure. Be there in like two minutes.'

As I stuff my phone into my pocket, I grab my keys and head out the door. "I'm going to Kat's house."

"Okay Sweetie, have fun." My mom yells.

Then Rye pipes in. "Just not too much fun." I'm sure he's wiggling his eyebrows at me. Rolling my eyes, I stuff my feet into my Vans and head out the door.

As I put the keys into the ignition, my phone buzzes again. I take a quick peek at it. 'Potassium.'

I laugh a little but stuff my phone in my hoodie pocket. Then I start to drive. One street, then two, then three streets pass until I'm at Kat's; I turn off the car and step out of my truck. Then I let myself in.

"Hey Peeta." Suzanne, Kat's mom says. "Katniss is upstairs in her room."

"Thanks Suzanne." I say as a take the stairs two at a time upstairs. Soon enough, I'm at Kat's closed bedroom door. I just let myself in.

"Hey Peet." She says in a soft voice.

"Hey. How are you doing?" I ask in the most caring voice I have.

Kat sighs. "I'm okay. I've been trying to tell Mom for a week now but I just can't. That's why I asked you to come over."

I pull her into a hug. "I'm so sorry Kat. This just sucks for you doesn't it?"

"No. Between the vomiting and constant cravings that I'll be having for the next seven months, everything is just a walk in the park." Kat says, voice loaded with sarcasm.

"Kat, I was trying to be empathetic." I deadpan.

Kat scoffs. "You've got the pathetic part right." Then she must see the hurt look on my face. "I kid, I kid."

I just shrug. "Should we go tell your mom?"

Kat nods sadly and stands up. "Better now than later."

We make the solemn walk down stairs to her mother. "Mom?" Katniss says.

"Yeah Sweetie?" Suzanne says, looking up from her book.

Kat audibly swallows. "I have something to tell you."

"Okay, what is it?" Suzanne asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"Um," Kat looks to me for help.

I instantly take over. "What Katniss is trying to say is you know how she's been feeling sick lately?"

"Yes, but that's just the flu."

I shake my head. "No Suzanne, it's not. Do you remember that New Year's party you had a few months ago? And how Gale got hammered? Yeah well, um, he kinda gotKatnissknockedup." I jumble the last part together.

"What?" Suzanne says, obviously angry. "What do you have to say for yourself young lady?"

"Mom, I didn't want him to. He practically raped me."

Suzanne's expression grows more intense. "Where is that lousy excuse for a man? I'll take him down right now."

"Mom, he's at Hazelle's but I'm not sure it's the best idea to…"

"Okay I won't, for now." Her mom seems to have cooled some. "How far along are you?"

"I'm assuming two months."

Suzanne thinks a moment. "Then we need to get you a doctor's appointment. First thing tomorrow, Sweetheart, you're coming with me to work. Peeta can come too if he wants. But we're going to get an ultrasound."

"Okay Mom." Kat says softly.

"Now get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

Kat looks to me, then her mom, then me again. "Can Peeta sleepover?"

"Yeah. It's not like he did this to you anyway." Suzanne says. "But text your parents to let them know."

I nod, getting out my phone and texting my mom. 'Sleeping over at Kat's tonight. Hope that's okay.'

'Yeah Sweetie, do you want me to bring some clothes over, maybe some PJ's?'

**I found the chapters! YAY!**

'Nah. I'll be okay I think I have some spare clothes here anyway.'

"Let's get you in bed Katniss." I say.

Kat nods and lets me lead her upstairs. She quickly changes into her PJ's—I look away—and I tuck her into bed. As I kiss her on the forehead, I tell her goodnight. Then I take off my shirt and pants and grab a blanket from the closet; I settle onto the floor and fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4: The Truth

The Truth

Peeta's POV

Just a good friend. I think sadly. We'll never be more than that will we.

I put this at the back of my mind as I put the car into drive. Maybe we'll swing by the bakery and get more cheese buns. Yeah, I'll think we'll do that.

"Where are we going Peet?" Katniss asks, looking out the front windshield.

"You'll see." I say with a mischievous smile.

As I pull into the bakery parking lot, Katniss smiles. "You know me too well, Peeta Mellark."

I scramble out of the car, telling Kat to stay put, and walk inside. "Hey Peeta." My brother, Josh says.

"Hey Josh. Can I get two dozen cheese buns please?" I ask politely.

Josh looks me up and down, cocking an eyebrow. "Yeah." He says slowly. "What do you need them for? That pregnant chick who you don't even have a chance with? You know she has a boyfriend in my year right? His name's Gale Hawthorne. You don't want to mess with him."

I roll my eyes and take the buns, placing a small tip in the tip jar. "Thanks."

Katniss waits outside the car, leaning up against the hood, for me. She reaches out her hands to take the buns, but I raise them above my head. "Please Peeta?" She begs.

"Fine." I play. "Here you go Kat."

"Thank you Peeta." She says, mouth already full of cheese bun. I giggle at the sight of this. "Are you laughing at me?"

"Maybe"

"Because?"

"Because I'm pregnant, Prim." Katniss says, fighting tears.

I stand and hug her tight. Soon I feel tears soaking my shirt. We stand like this for a while.

"Who did this to you?" Prim asks.

"Gale did." Anger rides heavily in my voice. A new round of tears soaks my shirt. "You okay Kitty?" I whisper into Katniss' hair. She shakes her head.

"Why don't you call a friend Prim?" I ask. "I'll take you anywhere."

"Okay!"

Prim runs upstairs to get the phone and I sit on the couch, pulling Katniss next to me. "These stupid hormones are driving me crazy!" She says. "They suck." She finishes as more tears come. I can't help but feel bad for her.

"I'm sorry Kat. This has got to suck."

Prim comes back down with her shoes on and her purse in hand. "Kay Peeta. Can you take me to Rue's?"

"Sure." I say, giving Katniss a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back in five minutes. I swear it."

Prim waits impatiently. "Peeta! Let's go."

"Okay." I walk out the door to the car.

After I drop Prim off at Rue's house, I pick up a movie and some popcorn, then drive back to the Everdeen's. "Katniss I'm back!" I yell as soon as I enter the house. I look around and see Katniss isn't there. I bolt upstairs to the bathroom.

I instantly grab her hair and pull it out of her face. Then I start to rub her back. "Sorry it took so long." I whisper.

"It's not your fault, Peet." Kat says between bouts of vomit. "It's really Gale's fault. He's the one that got me pregnant in the first place."

"Okay."

Katniss brushes her teeth and ties up her hair. "I brought a movie and some popcorn, I also picked up more cheese buns."

"You didn't have to do that." Katniss says.

"I know Kitty. I wanted to."


End file.
